Hillsong NYC Pastor Carl Lentz has said that his church does
not use the word "religion" because he finds it to be outdated,
and says that he prefers the term "relationship with God."

"We don't use the word 'religion,' because it's hard to get people
excited about religion," Lentz says in an article posted by New
York Daily News on Monday. "Religion is dead. I don't know
anything about religion, I couldn't help you. Religion has no
power. But a relationship with God is a superpower."

Lentz leads the 6,000 member evangelical megachurch, which
has grown to become one of the largest and most popular ones
in the New York area.

"In church, people treat you like you have to change or else,"
Lentz added. "Our approach is, 'We love you, nothing else.'"
The pastor reflected that Hillsong, which often includes rock
performances and giant-screen TVs in its gatherings,
intentionally uses modern approaches to minister to people.

"What you see around you can be a little unorthodox. You don't
have to believe to belong here. We just talk about regular life.
Regular marriage, what it means to be a Christian in New York."
Hillsong has attracted several celebrities to its worship services,
including popstar Justin Bieber, actress Vanessa Hudgens and
NBA star Kevin Durant.

Lentz, 35, has in the past explained that he will not take a public
stance on hot-topic issues like homosexuality, because he has
argued that is not the example Jesus Christ models in the Bible.
He is not the first young evangelist to announce his dislike of
the word "religion," however, and in 2012 a video by spoken
word artist Jefferson Bethke titled "Why I Hate Religion, But Love
Jesus" sparked a faith debate online.

"What if I told you, Jesus came to abolish religion?" Bethke
asked in the video. "If religion is so great, why has it started so
many wars? Why does it build huge churches, but fails to feed
the poor?"

The evangelist, who described himself as a "messed up dude
addicted to grace," claimed that Christianity is God's search for
man, while religion is the opposite – man's search for God. He
explained that this is why salvation is free for the taking –
forgiveness is His and not something based on "effort, but
Christ's obedience alone."

"So I know I hate religion, in fact I literally resent it," Bethke
said. "Because when Jesus cried it is finished, I believe He
meant it."